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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25369903">Ready or Not</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LexLemon/pseuds/LexLemon'>LexLemon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>I’ll Build a World Around You [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cliff Booth has a heart, Comfort, Dialogue Heavy, Everyone needs to get on Cliff’s hype man level, First-Time Parent Jitters, M/M, Reassurances, Rick Dalton has a heart, Rick and Cliff will always have each other’s backs, TW: Hospital Setting, difficult conversations</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:42:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,387</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25369903</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LexLemon/pseuds/LexLemon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>While awaiting the birth of their daughter, Rick and Cliff voice their insecurities about becoming parents for the first time.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cliff Booth/Rick Dalton</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>I’ll Build a World Around You [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1852639</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Ready or Not</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>An explanation on Tracy’s origins so you aren’t confused: My story is that Rick and Francesca were in the process of getting divorced when she found out she was pregnant with Tracy. Francesca didn’t feel like she was ready for motherhood and thought a custody arrangement would be too difficult and would put a strain on their kid since she was planning on moving back to Italy. So Rick decided to take full custody after Tracy was born. So Tracy is biologically Rick and Francesca’s, but she was raised by Rick and Cliff. However, Rick, Tracy, and Francesca still keep in contact with one another and are friendly with each other because we stan healthy divorced relationships.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“<em>He was born a pauper to a pawn</em></p><p>
  <em>On a Christmas Day.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>When the New York Times said, ‘God is dead,’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And the war's begun.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Alvin Tostig has a son today.”</em>
</p><p>If Cliff Booth could find a way to turn off the hospital cafeteria radio, he would. Up until that point, the music in there hadn't been so bad. But this song was a little too on the nose for his liking, especially when his stress was already much higher than usual.</p><p>Cliff had been to hospitals plenty of times throughout his life, but he was usually the patient. Normally, he would be lying on a cot right now with God knows how many drugs being injected into him to ease the pain and his nerves as he waited for a diagnosis. He could just sleep it off, and everything would be fine.</p><p>Now, he was on the opposite end of the spectrum, and he hated that he needed to be so alert for the next however many hours as he waited for something to happen. He was doing the best he could to stay calm, but one man can only do so much.</p><p>Cliff turned on his heels and made his way out of the cafeteria, a ham and Swiss sandwich wrapped up in one hand and a cold bottle of Coke in the other. After hitching a ride in an elevator, he stepped into the maternity ward and found his boyfriend right where he'd left him.</p><p>Rick Dalton was hunched over in a seat in the white and pink-colored hallway, his emotionless face looking straight ahead without so much as a blink. His elbows were propped up on his legs, and his hands were tensely folded over his mouth. There was a slight bounce to his right leg as he sat in the small plastic chair, telling Cliff everything he needed to know about his current mental state.</p><p>Cliff went over to stand beside him and break him out of it, saying, "Hey."</p><p>Rick shook his head and looked up to see his boyfriend's kind blue eyes looking down at him. They weren't enough to make him completely calm, but they helped him feel less alone.</p><p>He let out a quiet breath as he looked back down. "Oh, hey," he said in a tired, quiet voice.</p><p>Cliff sat beside him on his left and held out the sandwich. "I got this for you while I was down there. You need it more than I do."</p><p>Rick tried his best to smile as he took it from him. "Thanks."</p><p>Cliff watched him set it down in his lap then resume staring ahead, the sandwich remaining unopened. He wasn't surprised, really. He expected as much from Rick.</p><p>"Any news?" Cliff asked.</p><p>Rick closed his eyes and shook his head. "No."</p><p>"Really? I would have thought we'd have gotten some progress by now." Cliff let out a breath as he sat back in his plastic chair. "It's going to be a long night, then."</p><p>Rick tried to push the words bubbling in his throat back down, but everything had been boiling from within since he got there that they had to come out.</p><p>"Maybe we made a mistake with this."</p><p>Cliff turned to him with furrowed brows. "With what?"</p><p>"You know..." Rick absently waved his hand in the air. "Becomin' p-p-parents and shit. Maybe we ain't ready yet. What if we just...did this too soon?"</p><p>"Well, that's not really something that can be helped-"</p><p>"I know, I know. Don't fuckin' remind me. I just don't f-f-feel...prepared for this, Cliff. I don't feel ready no more. I thought I was, but I'm goin' to fuck this whole thing up."</p><p>The tears started to fall down Rick's cheek, prompting Cliff to reach over and grab his hand as he kept talking.</p><p>"I ain't ready to be a father, Cliff. I wanted to be one so badly, and look at where my goddamn fuckin' mouth got me. Wantin' a kid and actually havin' one ain't the same fuckin' thing. Now, I'm goin' to be a shitty father 'cause I ain't fuckin' ready!"</p><p>"Whoa there, partner. Easy." Cliff gave Rick's hand a squeeze. "You're not supposed to be ready for this. No one ever is. Everybody thinks they are, but then it happens and it's nothing like they expected. Isn't that what Sharon told us?"</p><p>Rick sniffled. "Yeah."</p><p>"So what are you worried about? You're Rick Fucking Dalton, remember? Any kid would be lucky to have you as their dad."</p><p>"You think so? Y-Y-You think I'm goin' to be good for this kid?"</p><p>"You're going to be great for this kid. I know you're ready for this."</p><p>Rick let a smile cross onto his face as he looked at Cliff through misty eyes. He sighed then whispered, "Thank you."</p><p>Cliff unlocked his fingers from his grip and picked up the sandwich. "Now eat your sandwich. I don't want you meeting our daughter on an empty stomach."</p><p>"Alright, alright, relax. I'm eatin'." Rick started to undo the wrapping when he leaned back in his seat. "How the fuck are you so calm about this? Y-You act like th-th-this ain't your first fuckin' rodeo."</p><p>Cliff almost let out a laugh, color flooding into his cheeks. "Calm? Shit, I'm scared out of my mind, man. I'm just better at hiding it."</p><p>Now, Cliff hunched forward and looked at the bare wall ahead of them. "If anyone isn't ready for this, it's me. I mean, what experience do I have with being a dad? Mine hit the road when things got too tough, and I don't even remember who he is. And there was no one else after him either. I keep telling myself that I'm not going to do the same thing to you or to that little girl in there-" Cliff strained his neck to look towards the door. "-Whenever she decides to show up."</p><p>Rick sighed as he followed his gaze. "I know. I'm gettin' fuckin' annoyed that she ain't here yet."</p><p>"Well, those two better get a move on in there. We're waiting out here."</p><p>Rick let out a laugh as he took a bite of the sandwich.</p><p>Cliff took a breath then continued, "My point is I don't know the first thing about being a dad, so I don't have a clue on what I'm going to do if things get tough."</p><p>"Hey, if any of us are ready, it's you. You're goin' to be a great dad! Y-Y-You take care o-of me and Brandy. Shit, you've p-practically been Brandy's dad for years."</p><p>Cliff shrugged as he took a sip of his Coke. "Yeah, that's a good point."</p><p>"And you're great at fixin' things. Look how much you m-m-made me feel better in the last, what, two minutes? You'll know exactly what to fuckin' do when things get tough. Y-You're much more prepared than you think." Rick moved himself closer to Cliff, his body leaning against his as he gazed at him with sparkling blue eyes. "You're ready."</p><p>Cliff pursed his lips as he looked over at Rick, his heart thumping against his chest. Staring into his soft eyes, hearing the warmth and honesty in his voice, and seeing the gentler, timid side of him that the cameras didn't get to see just made him fall in love with him all over again. That was the power Rick had over him, and he was never letting go. And now that they were getting a kid to join them, it gave him all the confidence he needed to know this was the life for him.</p><p>Cliff let a smile curl onto his face as he nodded. "We both are." Lifting his Coke bottle up, he said, "To Tracy Maribella."</p><p>"To Tracy Maribella."</p><p>Rick tapped his sandwich against the bottle then took a quick bite while Cliff took a sip of his drink.</p><p>Rick added, "Whenever she fuckin' gets here."</p><p>The two men then sat together in silence as they awaited the arrival of their daughter. Sure, their fears were still sitting somewhere inside them, but they weren't as loud anymore. Because they knew now that as long as they had each other by their side, they could handle anything life decided to throw at them.</p><p>Oh yeah. They were ready.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Songs referenced:</p><p>“Levon”-Elton John: https://youtu.be/SEgEmTgAEUk</p></blockquote></div></div>
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